Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA 4) takes players to the bustling, crime-ridden world of Liberty City, also featured in Episodes from Liberty City and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Known as L.C., Liberty City is a major urban hub in the State of Liberty, renowned for its striking similarities to New York City and its rich in-game history.

A Storied Return

GTA 4 marks the fifth appearance of Liberty City in the series, following the original Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto Advance, and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. Compared to its earlier versions, this rendition of Liberty City is brimming with detail, character, and landmarks inspired by real-life counterparts like the Statue of Happiness, Star Junction, and the Rotterdam Tower.

A Digital New York City

Liberty City in GTA 4 encompasses four of the five New York City boroughs, plus a version of New Jersey:

• Algonquin (Manhattan): The commercial heart of Liberty City, filled with towering skyscrapers, cultural landmarks like Star Junction (Times Square), Middle Park (Central Park), and the Rotterdam Tower (Empire State Building), and vibrant nightlife with clubs such as Hercules, Maisonette 9, and Bahama Mamas.
• Broker (Brooklyn): An ex-city retaining its unique identity, characterized by housing projects, trendy middle-class neighborhoods, and famous brownstones. This is where Niko Bellic first arrives in Liberty City.
• Dukes (Queens): A diverse, predominantly residential area, home to the Francis International Airport, the Liberty City Swingers’ baseball stadium, and the Steinway Beer Garden. The area features affluent, ethnically diverse neighborhoods with traditional Irish, Victorian, and Tudor architecture.
• Bohan (The Bronx): Known for its multicultural ghettos, Latino culture, and as the birthplace of rap and hip-hop. It consists mainly of rundown housing projects and has higher crime rates, gang violence, and drug trafficking.

The state and city of New Jersey are represented as Alderney, which is separate from Liberty City. Notably, Staten Island is not recreated in the game. Despite appearing isolated, Rockstar Games designed Liberty City to feel complete without unreachable landmasses in the distance.

Expansions and Variations

GTA 4 and its two expansions, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, share the same detailed rendition of Liberty City, with each episode offering unique accessible locations. In Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the entire city is available except for Alderney State, with some alterations to fit the isometric 3D perspective.

In Grand Theft Auto V, the films Meltdown and An American Divorce, produced by Richards Majestic Productions, are set in Liberty City, further enriching the city’s narrative influence.